Pilferproof package



P ILFERPROOF PACKAGE Filed May 29, 1968 United States Patent 3,489,268PILFERPROOF PACKAGE Eugene J. Meierhoefer, West Chester, Pa., assignorto American Home Products Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation ofDelaware Filed May 29, 1968, Ser. No. 732,910

Int. Cl. B65d 85/54; A61b 19/02 US. Cl. 206-17.5 12 Claims ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE The disclosure is directed to a pilferproof package forhypodermic syringe cartridges comprised of oppositely disposed rigidtrays, each sealed to a common divider which serves to support thecartridges and to permit inversion of one tray for ease of connection tothe other during assembly. Both trays have break-away tabs at one endand positioning and retaining means within them. Security bars areconnected to each of the break-away tabs next to each cartridge needleso as to restrict the motion of the needle and prevent it from beingbent into such a position that it is accessible from the outside of thepackage. Access to the contents of the cartridges is not possiblewithout leaving some evidence of pilfering.

This invention relates generally to sealed containers for materials, andmore particularly to pilferproof packages for a plurality of disposablehypodermic syringe cartridges which prevent undetected pilfering.

Disposable hypodermic syringe cartridges for injecting drugs of variouskinds have found wide-spread use in the medical and related professions.It has been found useful to the ultimate user and economical to thesupplier to package a plurality of such units in a single container. Thecontainers for such cartridges desirably are economical in constructionand so made as to prevent pilfenage of the disposable cartridges withputproviding evidence of the pilferage having taken place.

In the packaging of narcotics and similar items for disposable, orone-time use, containers, it is particularly desirable to preventundetected access to the packaged drugs, including, for example, theremoval of the narcotics and substitution of a visually similar placebo.

It is also desirable that the packages be quickly opened and preferablethat their contents be visually observable during storage.

A particularly useful opening device is the break-away tab, shown anddescribed in US. Patent 3,133,635, issued May 19, 1964 to Gordon andPeterson. In that patent a break-away tab, or break-off section, isdefined as comprising:

(l) a plurality of vertically disposed material-weakening slots in oneend wall spaced apart a predetermined distance and aligned withpositioning and retaining means permitting longitudinal passingthereb'etween of a respective one of the hypodermic syringes in thepackage when a respectively adjacent portion of the end wall between anadjacent pair of slots is removed,

(2) a lateral slot in a bottom wall extending substantially parallel tothe end wall and disposed in the area of the bottom wall between the oneend wall and the positioning and retaining means,

(3) a plurality of longitudinal slots in the bottom wall, eachlongitudinal slot forming an extension of a respective one of thevertical slots in the one end wall and extending substantially parallelto the side walls each of the longitudinal slots opening into thelateral slot to define therewith a plurality of separate tab portionsconnected to the lower end region of an end wall portion defined betweena pair of said vertically disposed slots, and

3,489,268 Patented Jan. 13, 1970 (4) structural means connecting theupper end region of each of the end wall portions to the package andcomprising a weakened-web portion whereby a separate one of the tabportions, and with it a respective end portion may be broken away fromthe package at the weakened web portion by pulling the separate tabportion in a direction downwardly with respect to the bottom wall andoutwardly with respect to the one end wall.

A continuing problem in packages utilizing break-away tabs for removalof individual cartridges has been that the removal of one tab and thecartridge behind it makes the needle of the adjacent cartridgeaccessible by bending it into the open area. The contents of the lattercartridge may be then removed, for instance, by inserting a smallersecond needle into the first and withdrawing the contents. Likewise, theplunger end must also be protected against intrusion.

It is desirable that the packages be easily handled during loading andthat they be so shaped that a number of them may be stacked either ontheir side or flat with economy in space requirement.

The cartoning of medicaments must be absolutely accurate. Carton controlis the problem of matching a properly printed carton with a loadedpackage of medicaments.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved rigidtray package of a type usable for disposable cartridges containing unitdose medicaments which prevents undetected pilfering of the contents.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide packages forinjectable medicaments which may be stored fiat or on their sides witheconomy of space.

It is another object of this invention to provide a two layer packagefor cartridges which solves handling problems during loading.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide a package forcartridges which eliminates a printed carton as such and is adaptable tothe use of roll-feed labels, thus reducing the problem of carton controland mislabeling.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a large capacitycontainer for cartridges which permits easy removal of individualsyringes by the use of break-away tabs while preventing access to theneedles of the cartridges through the spaces adjacent to the break-awaytabs.

Still another object is the protection of the plunger end of thecartridges from undetected intrusion.

Other and further objects of this invention will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art by reading the following description taken inconjunction with the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of a pr ferred embodiment of apackage incorporating the novel features of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of one end of a tray taken generally along line22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken generally along line 3-3 of FIGURE 2with the package shown in the closed position; and

FIGURE 4 is a partial sectional view taken generally along line 4 4 ofFIGURE 1 and showing a detail of the divider construction.

The objects of the present invention may be achieved in a package 10 fora plurality of disposable cartridges 12 in which the package 10 is madeup of a rigid dished first tray 14, a rigid dished second tray 16 and adivider 18 disposed between them.

The tray 14 has a substantially planar bass 20, side walls 22, 24, andan end wall 26, best seen in FIGURE 3. The side walls 22, 24 and endwall 26 are connected to the base and to each other and extend atsubstantially right angles to the base and to each other. Opposite endwall 26 are a plurality of break-away tabs 28, 30, 32, 34,

i 36. Each of the break-away tabs has extending from it in 3 thedirection of the divider 18 at least one security bar 38 [FIGURE 3). Aflange 40 surrounds the periphery of be open portion of the tray andbreak-away tabs 28, 30, 32, 34, 36 are connected to it. As may best beseen in FIGURE 3, the flange 40 is connected to the side walls 22, 24and to the end wall 26, and with them defines :1 :eat 42 to receive thedivider 18.

The tray 14 has two septa 44, 46 which serve as posiioning and retainingmeans for the cartridges 12. The :eptum 44 is supported by the base andside walls 22, 24, and has formed in it a number of ribs 48 defining re-:esses 50. The septum 46 is similarly supported and is nade up of anumber of ribs 52 defining recesses 54. t ras been found advantageous toreduce the amount of naterial required for construction of the tray byforming )rifices 56, 58 in the base 20, provided suificient area 'emainsto support a label 59, as described below.

The second tray 16 is substantially identical to the ray 14. The tray 16is comprised of a base 60, side walls 52, 64 and an end wall 66.Opposite end wall 66 are a )lurality of break-away tabs 68, 70, 72, 74,76 each havng at least one security bar 78 extending at substantially'ight angles from it toward the divider 18. A flange 80 urrounds thetray 16 and the break-away tabs 68, 70, 72, '4, 76 are connected to itand supported by it. With the ride walls 62, 64 and the end wall 66, theflange 80 deines a seat 82 for the divider 18.

The tray 16 contains two septa 84, 86. The septum i4 is made up of aplurality of ribs 88 defining a plurality vf recesses 90. Similarly, theseptum 86 is made up of L plurality of ribs 92 defining a plurality ofrecesses 94. t is advantageous that the tray be formed with orifices '6and 98 in the base 60, provided that sufi'lcient area emains to supporta label 99, as described below.

It is an additional feature of the present invention that he trays maybe designed so as to accommodate carridges with needles of at least twodiflerent lengths. When the short needle cartridges are to be used,bosses .00 are utilized as stops to prevent longitudinal motion )f thecartridges in the tray. The bosses 100 are not reuired for a long needlecartridge, that is, a cartridge and leedle which extends substantiallythe full interior length if the tray.

As may best be seen in FIGURE 2, a sheath 102 en- :loses a needle (notshown) of the cartridge 12. When he cartridge 12 is placed in the traythe sheath 102 i lisposed between the security bars 78 located onoppoite sides of the break-away tab 70.

The security bars 78 prevent motion of the sheath and lence the needlecontained within it, beyond the limits if its associated break-away tab.Thus, should the breaktway tab 68, and its associated cartridge beremoved from he package, it would not be possible to bend the adjacentheath 102 and needle into the open space created by the emoval of thebreak-away tab. In the prior art designs vithout the security bars, itwaspossible to bend the heath andneedle into an open space, insert asmaller needle into the needle and withdraw the contents of the artridgewithout leaving evidence of pilferage, particuarly where a similarappearing placebo was substituted or the cartridge contents.

As is shown in FIGURE 2, security bars 78 are reuired on the side of abreak-away tab, such as 76, which 5 adjacent another break-away tab,such as 74, but a e not required adjacent as side wall, such as 64.

Undetected access to the plunger ends of the cartridge 5 prevented bythe end walls 26, 66.

A detail of the construction of the divider 18 is shown [1 FIGURE 4. Thedivider is made up of a substantially vlanar sheet 104 surrounded by aflange 106. Welding ribs v08, 110 are formed on opposite Sides of theflange 106. 11 order to reduce the amount of material required for hedivider 18, it is advantageous that orifices 111, 112 e formed in thedivider 18. It is also advantageous to vrovide a strip 113 located so asto be disposed between epta 46, 86. The ribs 48, 52, 88, 92 may be exended so 4 as to contact the strip 113, and if desired, may be sealablyconnected to the strip 113. The latter sealed embodiment is particularlydesirable where the divider 18 is made of a relatively flexiblematerial, because, inter alia, it acts to stiffen the divider 18.

During assembly, the tray 14 is placed in position with the base 20downwards. The cartridges 12 are loaded into the recesses 50, 54, aresupported by the septa 44, 46 and are prevented from lateral motion bythe ribs 48, 52. Each cartridge is prevented from longitudinal motion bythe end wall 26 or its respective break-away tab 28, 30, 32, 34, or 36.When the tray 14 is filled, the divider 18 is inserted into the heat 42and sealed in place by the use of ultrasonic sealing, solvent sealing,adhesives, or the like, as is well known in the art. The cartridges arethen prevented from an upward or downward motion by the base 20 and thedivider 18. The tray 14 may then be inverted, and when tray 16 has beensimilarly loaded, placed in position with the divider 18 disposed in theseat 82. The final sealing may be made in similar fashion to the priorsealing. A roll-feed label, not shown, may then be applied to at leasttwo sides and preferably to four sides of the package 10 and maintainedin place by an adhesive placed, for instance, on the external surfacesof the bases 20 and 60. The label may contain printed identification ofthe contents of the package. A clear plastic film, preferably a shrinkfilm, may be applied as an outer wrapper, or overwrap.

When the package is opened for distribution of the medicament, as aresult of the removal of one of the tabs and the cartridge behind it,the balance of the cartridges remain in an enclosure until the tab infront of a specific cartridge is removed. However, possibly a cartridgecould be removed or manipulated into an accessible position, but upon sodoing, the removal or manipulation would be detectable due to breakageor damage to the package structure.

The completed package is a rigid and stabilized packaging system forindividual injectable medicaments. The package protects the contentsduring shipping and handling prior to use, and may be stored either flator on its side in a minimum of space. The use of roll-feed labeling andelimination of a printed carton simplifies the carton-control problem.The package may be made of any suitable material, but preferably is madeof a clear injection-moldable material, such as styrene, methyl methacrylate and the like.

Various modifications are possible.

If desired, a single tray may be utilized and a cover substituted forthe divider, while retaining all of the desirable features of the trayas described above.

What is claimed is:

1. A package containing disposable cartridges of injectable medicineswhich prevents undetected pilfering comprising:

(A) a first rigid tray;

(B) a second rigid tray substantially identical to said (C) a dividerdisposed between said first and second trays and sealably joined to saidtrays; I

(D) a plurality of break-away tabs disposed at one en of each of saidtrays;

(E) at least one security bar connected to each of said break-away tabsextending toward said divider; and

(F) positioning and retaining means for the cartridges disposed in eachof said trays.

2. A package as defined in claim 1 in which each of said first andsecond trays has a flange defining a seat for said divider.

3. A package as defined in claim 1 in which at least one of saidsecurity bars is located on each side of its rezpective break-away tabnext to an adjacent breakaway ta 4. A package as defined in claim 1 inwhich a single break-away tab retains at least tWo cartridges.

5. A package as defined in claim 1 further having a roll-feed labeladhesively applied to at least two sides of its exterior.

6. A package as defined in claim 1 further having at least one boss insaid trays to retain relatively short needle cartridges.

7. A package as defined in claim 1 which is formed with adjacentexternal surfaces at substantially right angles to each other.

8. A package as defined in claim 1 further having orifices formed in atleast one of said trays and divider.

9. A package as defined in claim 1 which is formed by injection molding.

10. A package as defined in claim 1 which is made from a materialselected from the class consisting of styrene and methyl methacrylate.

11. A package as defined in claim 1 wherein said first and second traysand divider are sealed together into a unitized package.

12. A package containing disposable cartridges of injectable medicineswhich prevents undetected pilfering comprising:

(A) a rigid tray;

(B) a cover connected to said tray;

(C) a plurality of break-away tabs disposed at one end of said tray;

(D)fat least one security bar connected to each of said break-away tabsand extending toward said cover;

(E) positioning and retaining means for the cartridges disposed in saidtray.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,133,635 5/1964 Gordon et al.20663.2

JOSEPH R. DECLAIR, Primary Examiner J, M. CASKI'E, Assistant ExaminerUS. or. X.R, 206-56, 63.2.

